Adj to 49 Cranfield Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two houses and two outbuildings on this site form the core of a former 19th century coastguard station, still remembered in the local place name ‘Coastguard Yard’.

1. House

A single storey / four bay house aligned N-S. Pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges and terracotta ridges. Two harled concrete coped chimneys between bays 1 and 2 and bays 3 and 4. Walls are modern pebble dashed and all windows have thin concrete cills.

West (front) elevation has, in bay two, a modern part glazed painted plywood door. Each remaining bay has a single window. All are modern painted timber fixed lights with top hung transoms over.

North and south gables are blank.

East elevation has a window on each bay. All are fixed paned modern timber with side hung casement. A doorway on bay two is now blocked up.

2. Outbuilding

One and a half storey outhouse aligned NW-SE, to SW of main house. Pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges. Walls are granite rubble brought to courses.

NE (front) elevation has, from L-R: modern timber door, small modern fixed window, blocked doorway, and small fixed window. To right of these is a vehicle entrance partially blocked up with concrete and with timber slats forming vents above. In wall head at centre and left (over door and window) are thin vents in the masonry.

Left (SE) gable has sheeted loading door to upper floor with red brick cill. NW gable has a large pair of sliding doors.

SW elevation has a corrugated door to left of centre. There are three infilled window openings - one to left of door and two to right.

3. Outbuilding

One and a half storey outbuilding aligned N-S to NE of house. Pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges and terracotta ridges. Walls are modern wet-dashed render.

South gable has blocked up loading door to first floor. North gable is blank.

East elevation has a modern opening to left. Large modern vehicle opening with t+g sheeted door and a modern fixed window to right.

West elevation is blank is blank.

4. House

One and half storey / three bay house aligned W-E on the west side of Cranfield Road.

Pitched natural stone slate (small unevenly dressed slates with greenish colour) roof laid in diminishing courses, tarred to front pitch. Cast iron skylight inset onto front pitch and two to rear. Three cement rendered chimneys, one to either gable, and other on party wall between left and central bays. Red brick skews. Half round plastic rainwater goods on modern timber eaves board attached to projecting eaves. Walls are cement wet dashed with smooth basecourse. All openings have thin smooth cement architraves and all windows have thin concrete cills.

Principal elevation faces south. Glazed post-WW2 door at left side of central bay has a full height sidelight to right. To its right is a three paned modern timber casement window, with similar windows to each remaining bay.

Left gable is blank at ground floor and has two 2/2 sliding sashes with horns and without cills.

Rear elevation has a partially glazed modern door to left side of central bay. Right bay has a two paned modern casement window. Right bay has an out-shot with flat roof and modern glazing.

Right gable is abutted by a lean-to outbuilding and otherwise blank. Outbuilding is has a mono-pitched artificial slate roof with rubble stone walls. Its wall to front is blank. Its rear wall has a vehicle entrance. Wall of main block enclosed within this lean-to is lime dashed and washed with a pink pigment.

The small garden to the front has been cleared to allow access to modern house (its replacement) to NE.

Historical information

There was possibly a small Coastguard presence here since 1813, (as an outstation of Rostrevor). Present houses seemingly erected in early 1820s to house a force of 12 men. Associated boathouse nearby (HB16/04/038). The 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir notes: “There is a coastguard station near Cranfield Point, consisting of one officer, one chief boatman and four men”. In 1868, nine men and a chief boatman are recorded here. With the erection of a new station at Greencastle (HB16/04/030), the staff vacated these premises in the 1880s.

Primary sources:
1. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Kilkeel Parish (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin).
2. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/1)

Secondary sources:
1. D. Mayne ‘19th century coastguard stations in Mourne, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.7 (Kilkeel 1996), pp 25-6.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Primarily of historical interest. Plan form and scale of the houses contrast with the later 19th century coastguard houses at Cranfield.